Question: What do you make of all these extra outfielders the Orioles have accumulated? I was extremely excited to see Heston Kjerstad this year. It seems like he will be playing for another team. What are your thoughts? From: Ross Davidson
Answer: Ross, there were a lot of questions about the Ramón Laureano signing and its ramifications from readers. Mitch surmises the Orioles are preparing for a trade of an outfielder for a top-notch pitcher and wonders which outfielder might be traded. Ron Foreman wants to know if Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle might be traded. Thomas Lanzafame wants to know why Laureano was signed instead of Austin Hays.
I explored the Laureano signing this morning, and I think it’s possible that Laureano, Mullins, Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad and Tyler O’Neill can all find playing time.
As for Kjerstad, I think the Orioles really want to see him get an extended opportunity this season, and I think acquiring Laureano, a right-handed hitter, isn’t going to get in the way of Kjerstad, who like Cowser and Mullins, hits left-handed. I don’t think the Orioles are looking to trade him.
It’s certainly possible to include Mullins and Mountcastle for a pitcher, but Mullins has only one year before he’s eligible for free agency, and I think he’s more valuable to the Orioles than to someone else. If a team wants to trade a pitcher to the Orioles, I think they’re going to want players with more years of control than Mullins.
Mountcastle’s name has certainly been thrown around in trade chatter, but I think the Orioles would like to see how he reacts to the new left-field wall since he could be the primary beneficiary, but if there’s a good trade to be made that includes him, that’s possible.
Laureano had a far better year last season than Hays. He had a 1.3 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) while Hays had -.1. His salary is $1 million less than Hays’, and the Orioles added an option year for 2026.
Question: Any word on the progress of Kyle Bradish’s rehabilitation and a possible return date? From: Mark
Answer: Mark, I also received a question about Bradish from Nelson Blitz. The Orioles haven’t been specific about Bradish’s rehabilitation, though Mike Elias said last week that the players who had surgery last year are doing well.
Monitoring Bradish’s progress will be an ongoing story. He had Tommy John surgery last June, so it’s unrealistic to expect him back before the All-Star break. Hopefully, I’ll have an update after we speak to Bradish during spring training.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.